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Set
For Life | Secrets |
"Like Fountains Of Wayne, Guided
By Voices, and Ivy, The Villas weave melodies in and out
of chord progressions that recall the golden era of Brill Building
songcraft, though there is nothing retro about this ensemble. Similar
to the post-John Cale Velvet Underground and the early incarnations
of the Talking Heads and Blondie, The Villas are a band out of time;
or, as critics like to opine, ahead of their time. Something radical
is going on ..." Tom Semioli, Amplifier "This husband and wife Power Pop team gets everything
right: the hooks are rich, the musicianship sharp, and
the lyrics are literate but never pretentious. Their 1960s- Merseybeat-meets-1980s-New
Wave songs stack up nicely with the Plimsouls, the Smithereens,
and the skinny Elvis Costello of yore. Plenty of these tunes belong
on the radio." Nick Dedina, Listen.com "The Villas represent a hidden treasure.
Their rustic, heartfelt folk-pop enveloped within a slick shiny
sheen, much like Steely Dan with Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark instead
of Becker and Fagan. Gorgeous slabs of pop Americana that pushes
the Villas into Jayhawks/Wilco/ Pernice Brothers territory, without
the deserved recognition. Tell you what; let the abundant gifts
of the Villas be secrets no longer." Kevin Matthews, "Buoyant pop/rock with a great sense of harmony.
In the vein of Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Michael Penn. Super-catchy
melodies and interesting lyrics, both delivered through the sweet
voice of Bill Villa. For a debut album, this is a really solid one."
Dave Heaton "... barreling bounce ... organ-dotted romper-stompers
... joyous jingle-jangle. Solidly melodic pop that neither
suffers fools gladly nor takes itself overly seriously. A gem of
a record." Michael Karpinski "Catchy as flypaper." Kate Riess, WDIY,
Bethlehem PA "... charismatic performers ... original songs written
and performed with a poetic fervor." Amy Chase, Bethlehem
PA "The sheer variety of material here keeps me from
calling this power pop. Among a whole raft of really really
good songs, I hear ... bits of classic singer songwriters, Brill
Building ... 70s folk ... 80s melody ... with Class A songwriting.
"Like There's No Tomorrow" answers the question: what
would The Beatles sound like jamming with The Byrds in 1966. And
"Big Tears," a gorgeous acoustic guitar and brush strokes
ballad would have given The Hollies a run for their money. Of course
fans of jangly pop will find much to their liking here, but with
cool little twists, sometimes in the melody, sometimes in the harmonies,
particularly in the arrangements. I find it amusing that this one
almost fell by the wayside of a Sunday afternoon house cleaning,
and now I don't think my collection would be complete without it.
Bart Mendoza, "Imagine Elvis Costello in an amazingly good mood.
Solid, Adult Alternative pop music ... track this one down."
James Baumann "Strong, lean pop built on memorable hooks, catchy
melodies, and surprisingly detailed production. East Coast
counterparts to Aimee Mann and Michael Penn." Stephen Thomas
Erlewine "A beguiling pop concoction." Carl
Cafarelli "The Villas are a logical step for those who enjoy
the aesthetics of power pop but have developed a deeper
appreciation for laid back, country-flavored sixties pop."
"You want to spend some time with this recording and
bask in it for a while." David Fufkin, PopMatters
"Every track on 'Secrets' has the ability to grab
you with its musical charms. Definitely an album that any
kind of pop fan will love." David Bash, International Pop Overthrow
Festival "Exceptional songwriting, spirited playing, evocative
and passionate vocals. With songs as good as these and
a band as good as this, it becomes difficult to not deliver. "
Claudio Sossi "The Villas combine elements of Rubber Soul, The
Eels, and Elliott Smith, with an enchanting darkness and
charm uniquely their own." Elliot Kendall, Panoramic Sound,
LA "The Villas 'Secrets' is one of those albums that
gets continually stronger as it goes on. It's good to hear
songwriting that can sustain over 30 minutes. 'Always Ending' is
a nearly perfect [expletive deleted] song. The Raspberries meet
Elvis Costello on Abbey Road." Chris Carter (Dramarama/Wondermints/Brian
Wilson/KLSX) "Angel Villa can say more with a brief guitar fill
than most pickers can say with an extended solo."
Shaun Dale, Cosmic Debris "Bill Villa proves himself to be a consummate songsmith
"Twelve hours, on my eighth listen now, and just
completely losing my mind in this music as though it's
the last sounds I'll ever hear. And you know what? If it were the
last, I'd be a-okay with that. These folks got something going on
with their yielding yet smart pop chops. Like Eric Carmen and Holly
Beth Vincent living a weird suburban American dream." Kurt
Hernon "A wonderful mix of sublime songs and simple jangle."
"Articulate, melancholy, and memorably aching. Dramatic
jangle in the vein of R.E.M." Mike Bennett, Pop Palace "Secrets is one of the most impressive indie pop
releases I've heard in quite a while." Jude Hayden,
Pop Palace "The Villas have the talent to make it, it's just
the matter of being heard above the din." Chad Bowar,
Suite 101 "The Villas may very well be the new seed the industry
needs to plant in itself." Stew Brodian, WDIY Bethlehem
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